Interesting items from World Net Daily

Facts that contradict evolution face ban muzzled! On Feb. 12, 2008, WorldNetDaily reported that the state of Florida is considering a new science teaching standard that presumes the accuracy of the theory of evolution, much to the consternation of parents and other leaders who say society too often already has been embarrassed by such "Flat Earth Society" thinking. At issue is a set of standards that will be considered by the state Board of Education that will mandate the teaching of evolution as fact and, essentially, forbid the discussion of facts that may contradict that theory. Fred Cutting, a retired aerospace engineer who served on the state’s Science Standards Framers Committee because of his expertise in biology, specifically species origins and the human genome project, said, "The proposed standards [for evolution] … presume ideas to be facts and leave no opportunity to study them beyond their narrow presentation." He found the treatment of evolution "very one-sided, bias[ed] and narrow in its final views." Neal Ganzel Jr., a minister in Ormond Beach, FL, wasn’t so restrained in his criticism of the emphasis the new standards place on evolutionary theory. He called Darwinian science the "reigning" theory of the day but said the committee members "arrogantly assume that this one theory is the final and only model for the explanation of the existence and variety of species…" John Stemberger, chief of the Florida Family Policy Council, told WND the "Neaderthals" are fighting hard to prevent the introduction of information into public schools that would contradict their belief in evolution. "It’s apparent that evolution has become almost like one of the prongs of the Apostles’ Creed for the secular humanists. They guard it as if they were guarding a doctrinal truth," he said. "They’re not open to discussion and debate and examination of evidence." Parent Kim Kendall, formerly an air traffic controller and now a homemaker, said her frustration from having such standards considered was surpassed only by the fact state officials apparently do not want even to hear concerns. "It is simply remarkable that the very people who are making this decision are refusing to hear directly from the people whose children’s lives and educations are being affected by these standards." The Jacksonville Times-Union reported that school boards in the northeastern part of the state are objecting collectively, endorsing resolutions that urge the state to back down from the new standards promoting "evolution," not the "theory" of evolution. Nassau Supt. John Ruis said the theory of evolution has many holes, and having the state present it as an undisputed fact "is certainly contrary to the beliefs of many people, including myself." How to present such information should be left to local districts, said Clay Supt. David Owens. "I believe in the separation of church and state, but I also believe there is important information available on both sides of [evolution]. To present it in just one way is wrong." The Orlando Sentinel reported that more than 10,000 people have logged onto the state website to denounce, or praise, the science blueprint. The newspaper’s own forum on the issue had collected nearly 1,000 comments, ranging from Woody Smith’s endorsement of evolution: "Evolution by natural selection is an established PRINCIPLE of science – the fact that it is still called a ‘theory’ seems to imply to some ignorant people that it is somehow in doubt. … It is supported by the fossil record. It has been observed in the laboratory. It has been observed in nature. It has been supported by advances in genetic science. NO evidence whatsoever has ever been discovered to contradict it." But Bob W. followed with a different perspective. "Evolution has never qualified as anything more than a theory. The theory caters to secular thought and the presupposition that man is the highest order of all beings. But the problem is that none of what the theory promotes has ever been observed, much less proved. No transitional forms, no new species and no new anything. … Evolution is such a mass of mumbo (sixty billon years ago) jumbo (the mountain turned upside down), that most folks taught this stuff still have no idea of what it is. They have to replay their Jurassic Park DVD to refresh their memory. Think of the markets that feed off this nonsense and folk’s pocketbooks. Well, gotta go. Two Yugos just wrecked outside my window and I want to see the new Caddies that resulted – that’s evolution."

More from WorldNetDaily–Get out of public schools, campaign warns: Also on Feb. 12, 2008, WorldNetDaily daily reported, "If you care about your children, homeschool, find a Christian school, participate in a homeschool coop, pay the tuition, drive an older car, whatever is necessary to keep them out of California’s public school system. That’s the message from a new campaign, assembled under the Rescue Your Child slogan. And it’s all because the California Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger worked together to establish Senate Bill 777 and Assembly Bill 394 as law, plans that institutionalize the promotion of homosexuality, bisexuality, transgenderism and other alternative lifestyle choices." Randy Thomasson, chief of the Campaign for Children and Families and a leader in the movement to withdraw what supporters pray will be up to 600,000 children from public districts in the state, said "First, [California] law allowed public schools to voluntarily promote homosexuality, bisexuality, and transsexuality. Then, the law required public schools to accept homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual teachers as role models for impressionable children. Now, the law has been changed to effectively require the positive portrayal of homosexuality, bisexuality, and transsexuality to six million children in California government-controlled schools." Officials said SB 777 "functionally requires public school instructional materials and school-sponsored activities to positively portray cross-dressing, sex-change operations, homosexual ‘marriages,’ and all aspects of homosexuality and bisexuality, including so-called ‘gay history.’" The second bill, AB 394, "requires public schools to distribute controversial material to teachers, students, and parents which promotes transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality, all under the guise of ‘anti-harassment’ training." Even insiders joined in the call for an abandonment of California’s public districts. Veteran public school teacher Nadine Williams of Torrance said the sexual indoctrination laws have motivated her to keep her grandchildren out of the very public schools she used to support. Caron Strong, a single mother from Los Angeles, said her daughter now will be homeschooled. Parents Anthony and Yvette Whitcher of Los Alamitos and Marty Gobel of Laguna Hills said they are looking into turn-key curriculum programs such as Alpha Omega Publications, CLASS and Bob Jones University Press. "For those parents who are not able to homeschool, most private Christian schools have financial aid available to help parents out," said David Baker, a former public school district principal and administrator and now chief of Capistrano Valley Christian schools. "Parents often have to prioritize what are the most important things in their lives. Parents would give up purchasing new cars or going on expensive vacations. So their children come first in their lives. It is possible to homeschool or enter into a relationship witih a Christian school." Joseph Rispoli, a former teacher who runs National University-Model School in Tustin said, "Our school, NAUMS, a blend of traditional school and also homeschool, is at least half the cost of a traditional private school. So there are other alternatives." And Heidi St. John, of First Class Homeschool Ministries said, "We help churches plant homeschool cooperatives. We have a proven program that any church can put into their ministry. Parents come one day a week and offer classes to the children, therefore building a community of homeschoolers." California parents, Thomasson said, already are becoming aware of the dangers their children face. "They’re calling and asking how they can homeschool. They’re calling private schools, they’re calling church schools. They’re getting ready to exist the dysfunctional, sexually indoctrinating public school system."

And one more from WorldNetDaily–Thus ends Western Civilization: On Feb. 8, 2008 Joseph Farah, founder, editor and CEO of WND and a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate, wrote, "The London Daily Mail reports this week that one in four Britons don’t believe Prime Minister Winston Churchill actually existed. They suspect he is a mythical character, rather than a historical one. Likewise, they think historical figures such as Florence Nightingale, Sir Walter Raleigh, Mahatma Gandhi and Cleopatra were also fictional personalities created for literature or films. On the other hand, they believe Sherlock Holmes was a real person. You can laugh about a survey like this, but I suspect we should all be very, very angry about it – at least the three-quarters of us who understand Churchill was not only a real guy but an important one in the history of Western Civilization. In fact, he wrote the book on Western Civilization – the classic ‘A History of the English-Speaking Peoples.’ These results are even more stunning when you consider that about one-quarter of Britain’s population was alive when Winston Churchill was around! But how would the rest of today’s Brits know about this? Who was supposed to tell them? Where were they supposed to learn the basics of modern history? For that matter, if Americans were polled, I suspect their performance would be even more humiliating. That’s because education is in shambles. I doubt very much if government-paid school teachers in either the U.S. or United Kingdom would know more than the general population. That would be an interesting poll. But I won’t hold my breath waiting for CNN or ABC or the New York Times to commission it any time soon. They’re too busy lobbying for more government spending and control over education. It seems you just can’t get too much of a failed thing. And FAILED, with a capital F, is the only way to grade our modern, top-down, command-and-control, politically correct, centralized government mis-education system. Having failed children and parents for 20, 30, 40 years now, our very way of life is threatened as a result. From Western Civilization sprang the unique and relatively new idea of self-government – that individual people are best suited to run their own lives, to govern themselves freely and with minimal interference from government….We’re headed into the gutter – into the sewer. Western Civilization is in real trouble. It is under attack. It is under siege. It’s about to go out not with a bang, but with a whimper. No one is even fighting for it any more. No one is championing it. No one is explaining what will replace it. Please heed this warning: There is only one thing likely to fill the vacuum when it goes. It’s called tyranny. You can call it other names – fascism, communism, socialism. They’re all the same. They all mean people will be disempowered in favor of elites. After all, only the elites will be equipped intellectually to make the tough decisions. That’s the way it happens. So, it’s no laughing matter that one-quarter of Britons don’t even realize Winston Churchill was a real person. It’s one of those signposts on the road to tyranny."